Though it deals with questions of motherhood, marital infidelity, and
other weighty issues, the primary goal of Clare Boothe Luce's 1936 play
The Women is to allow women to be women onstage. After all, it has over
forty characters, all of them female. Therefore, it's not surprising to
see the cast of Roundabout's new revival of the show, which opened last night at the American
Airlines Theatre, having what looks like a great time portraying the show's
drama, comedy, and practically everything in between.

Unfortunately, that great time doesn't necessarily extend to the audience.
True, society has changed quite a bit in the 65 years since its Broadway
premiere, but the text of Luce's play can potentially be as funny and
relevant now as it was then. The attitude, feelings, and actions of the
women in the play are much the same as they are today, though not every
line may be in vogue. This new production, directed by Scott Elliott,
just doesn't embrace enough of what's there, so it leaves you feeling
something is missing.

The story of The Women deals primarily with Mary (or, as she is referred
to constantly, Mrs. Stephen Haines), played by Cynthia Nixon. Her
previously happy existence is shattered by the realization - obtained,
unintentionally, through the gossip mill - that her husband is having an
affair with Crystal, a counter girl at Saks (Jennifer Tilly). How Mary
resolves this problem, both internally and externally, comprises the bulk
of the play.

Of far more interest to Elliott (and, perhaps, Luce) is the interaction of
the characters. The gossipy Sylvia (Kristen Johnson), the perenially
pregnant Edith (Jennifer Coolidge), and the often-married Countess De Lage
(Rue McClanahan), among others, weave a fascinating tapestry of betrayal,
deception, and, in some strange way, affection. Mary's interactions with
her mother (Mary Louise Wilson) and daughter (Hallie Kate Eisenberg) are
different, but every bit as important in showing where Mary got her
attitude, and what she will pass along to her daughter.

Yet it is these interactions that present the greatest problems in this
production of the play. Though Elliott has mostly staged the show well
(with significant help from Derek McLane's chic set designs), the cats
themselves have just not come out to play. The dialogue suggests a
certain level of attitude from most of the women that simply does not come
across in performance. Too often, Isaac Mizrahi's outlandish and sumptuous
costumes upstage the actresses, seeming inappropriate for the women being
presented. In addition, certain moments play too flatly; Mary's learning
of her husband's affair from a too-knowledgeable manicurist or her
discovery of how maybe to win him back for good deserve a richer and
fuller treatment than they receive here.

Nixon, however, is usually able to set aside the other problems facing the
production and turn in what is frequently a compelling performance.
McClanahan gets great comic mileage out of her character, though she
doesn't appear until the second act, and Mary Louise Wilson makes Mary's
mother spunky and appealing. Tilly is stronger as the golddigging Crystal
in the first act, when she's slightly more a periphery evil than a major
focus of the action.

Most of the other actresses have more difficulty. Ms. Johnson, in
particular, doesn't seem up to the demands of Sylvia. She postures and
affects a high-society voice, but never really seems to be as low and
bitch as Sylvia is frequently required to be. Surprisingly, she seems to
come into her own during the big second act "cat fight," but never
achieves as much character elsewhere in the show. Eisenberg only has a
few scenes, but comes across more annoying than spirited. Coolidge is
rather uneven, but funniest in the first scene in the second act, right
after delivering one in a string of babies.

Problems aside, Elliott and his cast do enough to prove that The Women
remains a strong show capable of holding its own today. This production
just lacks the additional bit of inspiration that would make this version
of The Women less a revival and more a revelation. As it stands, there's
no need to sharpen your claws before attending this production. The cats
may howl, but they never scratch.